FRU TRAGEDY: PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES PRESENTED TO CABINET - LOKE

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- The proposals to improve the safety features of vehicles used by security forces, following the fatal truck accident involving the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) on May 13, were presented to the Cabinet last week.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said his ministry collaborated with the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and the Home Ministry (KDN) to review the implementation of the proposals.

"This matter definitely needs to be resolved with the ministries involved. We (the Transport Ministry) can provide reports and suggestions, but ultimately, the ones who have to take action are the ministries involved, namely KDN and also MINDEF.

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"There are definitely challenges, and we also need time to implement them because they require various retrofitting measures, maybe even (the purchase of) new vehicles and so on,” he told a media conference after the ministry's monthly assembly and Deepavali celebration here today.

On May 13, nine FRU personnel were killed while nine others were injured after the FRU truck they were in collided with a tipper lorry, which was believed to have entered the opposite lane along Jalan Chikus-Sungai Lampam, Teluk Intan, Perak, during the 8.45 am incident.

According to a report prepared by a special task force, the main cause of the fatal crash was due to the lorry exceeding 70 per cent of its permissible laden weight (BDM).

The Ministry of Transport had also said that 16 safety recommendations had been presented, covering six main areas, including enhancing compliance with the Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) for Road Transport Safety, improving the Land Public Transport Act 2010 (Act 715) and upgrading safety features in government vehicles, such as the installation of seat belts for all seats.

-- BERNAMA